1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the invention described herein are directed generally to a tool for cleaning and refurbishing hook-and-loop type fastener material such as VELCRO®. In particular, embodiments include a folding hand tool that may be unfolded to expose a two-sided wire and nylon brush combination for removing lint, dirt and other foreign materials that interfere with the loop-and-hook attachments.
2. Description of Related Art
VELCRO-type fasteners attract dirt, lint, fibers, hair, particulate matter, and other debris This accumulation of debris causes the fasteners to lose their adhesive properties, which deteriorates the uniform, equipment, gear, or other item constructed with VELCRO. Generally the deterioration of the VELCRO fasteners is the first step along the path to degradation of the overall item. To the best of the inventor's knowledge, there is only one other product on the market that addresses VELCRO cleaning. GRIPClean™ (Fonora Textile, Inc., Montreal, Quebec, Canada) cleans the hook side of the fasteners and provides no easy way to clean the brush therefore requiring that the brush be cleaned by hand. Thus, there are no known products on the market designed to clean both the hook and the loop sides of VELCRO fasteners.